Books Symbol Analysis

Many of the major characters in Eugene Onegin are avid readers, and books symbolize a romantic view of life that doesn’t always reflect reality. One of the most avid readers is Tatyana, whose fondness for foreign romance novels shows how considerably outside influences, particular form Europe, shaped Russian identity at the time. Her parents tolerate her interest in books because they see it as inconsequential, but in fact, the romantic ideas that Tatyana gets from books are part of the reason why she falls so deeply in love with Eugene. Eugene is also a big reader, who searches unsuccessfully in the novels he reads for a sense of purpose in life. At one point after being rejected by Eugene, Tatyana goes through Eugene’s old collection of books, trying to look at pages he might have read and understand what his interpretations say about him as a person. She finds nothing conclusive and wonders if Eugene is just an empty collection of the things he’s read—in a similar way to how Tatyana herself got her ideas about romance through books.

Still, Eugene Onegin and particularly its narrator often have a satirical tone, and so some of these arguments about the worthlessness of books should be taken with a grain of salt. Although Tatyana ultimately makes the socially acceptable choice at the end of the novel when she marries a prestigious general, there is something sad about her leaving behind her romantic ideas from childhood, which might have helped her avoid a loveless marriage like the one her mother, Dame Larin, entered into before her. Similarly, the time in Eugene’s life when he’s most interested in book and poetry is when he finally admits to himself that he loves Tatyana and wants to be with her. Although Eugene’s period of writing poetry is ultimately futile and ends with Tatyana’s rejection, it suggests that a person who reads and writes can become more in touch with their true feelings. In Eugene Onegin, books have a powerful effect on shaping people’s identities, sometimes filling them up with false and romantic ideas but also helping them to get in touch with and make sense of their own emotions.